


Dragon's Keep

by LittleUggie



Series: NaNoWriMo Shorts [2]
Category: Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Dragon!Hannibal, Fairy Tale Elements, M/M, Will is cursed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 07:29:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12677226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleUggie/pseuds/LittleUggie
Summary: Prince William is cursed. It's really not all that bad.





	Dragon's Keep

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [巨龙的宝藏](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14315589) by [LittleUggie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleUggie/pseuds/LittleUggie), [Yaegaki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yaegaki/pseuds/Yaegaki)



> I've been on something of a fairy tale kick. Don't know if you can tell.

The curse isn’t a bad one as far as curses go. Foreboding magic castle? Check. Hidden in the middle of nowhere? Absolutely. No way to contact anyone or any hope of rescue? Right on the money. But in terms of actually affecting his person, the curse is lacking. Really it’s more about the scenery than anything else. Makes sense in a way. The Wizard Chilton who banished him to this place was trying to punish King Jack more than Prince William. Though Will is a little hazy on the details on how that worked out. 

Really, it seems like punishment for the dragon more than anyone else. 

Oh, yes. There is a dragon guarding the castle. Well, ‘guarding’ so to speak. Turns out the castle belongs to the dragon, and the wizard had seen it as a package deal to send Will there. Who has the time to go around convincing dragons to move to random castles to look after any royalty that happens to being held captive? Dragons are notoriously bad at following directions, anyway. 

Will is not quite sure why the dragon didn’t simply kill and eat him immediately upon his arrival. One minute he’d been in the throne room, listening to Chilton complain and threaten the king (not an unusual occurrence), the next he is falling on his ass into a pile of gold ( _ ouch _ , by the way) in front of the forelegs of a massive black and silver dragon. He stared at two burning red eyes that stared at him from behind a smoking snout and said the first thing that popped into his head. 

“Sorry.”

The dragon tilts its head curiously. “What are you sorry for?” The deep rumbling voice seems to vibrate the stacks of treasure around them.

“Showing up uninvited?” 

That seems to amuse him, though Will can’t really tell how he knows that. The reptilian facial structure does not afford a wide range of expressions.

“I suppose I can forgive you if you tell me your name and what brought you here.” 

And so it went. The dragon’s name turns out to be Hannibal. He didn’t really seem to mind Will’s presence. The prince has a sneaking suspicion that the dragon sees him as a sort of pet who wandered in. Hannibal’s magic is entrenched in the castle since he claimed it as his lair and he keeps it in good condition. Will’s food and laundry are taken care of by some sort of invisible servant spell (he can’t summon the courage to ask if it’s actually an invisible person). Will is unable to venture past the moat (yes, there is a moat, of course there is), and if Hannibal is capable of sending him back, he has so far shown no such inclination. He is well and truly stuck. 

So it’s not the worst curse in the fairytale repertoire, but it’s damn inconvenient, mostly for the dragon, having his territory invaded and whatnot. Will supposes he would be more upset about it if he wasn’t enjoying the break from his princely duties. In all honesty, he kind of hated being royalty. It’s a demanding and thankless job, and his father seemed determined to run him ragged sitting in on every delegation and audience in order to use his empathy to judge their intentions. Days full of immersing himself in other people’s psyches left him mentally exhausted and withdrawn. 

He finds dragons much more pleasant to be around. One, anyway. His fear had worn off fairly quickly, when it became obvious the dragon found him more interesting alive. Hannibal showed him around that first day, pleased with the rare chance to show off his hoard to someone who cannot (and wouldn’t regardless) steal it. 

The sheer amount of stuff in the castle is remarkable. Massive, intricately woven tapestries, gleaming suits of armour from far off lands, trinkets and curiosities, jewels and jewelry, and books. Oh, my the books. The library must take up half the castle. Hannibal had used magic to alter the doorways so his bulk could easily fit through them. The library seemed to spiral up to the very top turret. Will couldn’t fathom there were so many books in the entire world. 

Then there was the gold. Stacks of it. Bars, coins, lumps, statues, idols. Hannibal kept it shiny and organized. He seemed to delight in shifting it around into new patterns and formations. The pile Will had landed on when he arrived was a collection of coins from a long dead civilization. When the dragon slept, he did so in a nest of rich fabrics, surrounded by the treasure. Turns out the dragon is something of a peacock, preening at Will’s amazement and appreciation of his collection.

Will asks him where he found it all. Hannibal tells him he travelled quite a bit when he was younger, building his hoard and adding to his knowledge. He left his castle very little these days, mostly just to hunt. He seemed interested in how the world outside his lair has changed since he last went abroad, and asked Will many questions. 

As a prince, Will is well versed in international politics. It was fascinating to hear the histories of the various lands from the dragon’s perspective. Dragons were both feared and awed. Some countries worshiped them as gods, some tried to destroy them, others made treaties and attempted to cooperate. Will had never met a dragon before Hannibal. His kingdom had driven them out in previous centuries, and none had so far tried to settle there again. 

“How did Wizard Chilton know about this place?” He asks Hannibal. 

“I ran across him quite by accident one time while visiting a fae acquaintance of mine. He gave me a rather rare spell scroll in exchange for the location of my lair. I have so many protections woven in my home, that I didn’t see the harm. I surmise, he was planning your banishment even then.” 

“Do you think he wanted you to kill me?” 

“I have no idea. He was a singularly unpleasant little man.” 

So the days go. Will doesn’t really mind being stuck there, though the fact that he is physically unable to leave rankles him something awful. Hannibal is good company, if a bit indifferent to human death and suffering. He saw absolutely nothing wrong with picking off the occasional knight to eat. 

“They would think nothing of killing me, if given the chance, just because they think I am evil.” The dragon reasons. “At least I am using their deaths to sustain myself.” 

“They think you are evil because you eat people!” 

“They would find another reason even if I didn’t” 

Hannibal is rather disdainful of most of humanity, seeing them as livestock more than sentient beings. Will is resentful on behalf of his species, but can reluctantly understand the dragon’s point of view. Beings whose lifespan is only a fraction of his own and seem to constantly find new ways to torment their own kind. It is no wonder Hannibal has such low regard. 

“Why do you keep me around if you hate us so much,” he ask crossly after losing a heated argument about human morality. 

The dragon coils himself around the small, fragile human. His snout bumps the top of his head in a friendly way. Will got used to Hannibal’s disregard for personal space. The dragon likes having Will in his clutches. Hot breath warms his face. 

“You are a diamond among coal.” He says. 

“What, are you hoarding me now?” 

Red eyes flare in the reptilian face. “An intriguing idea.” 

One day, (Will has no idea how long he has been there.) Hannibal gets a visitor. It’s another dragon, massive, with scales a brilliant shade of red that fairly glow in the sunlight. There  is the white line of a scar on his snout. When Hannibal steps out of the castle to greet him, the newcomer dips his head in deference. 

“Elder Hannibal, I have come seeking your wisdom.” The voice is slow and careful, as if he gives close attention to each syllable. 

“How may I assist you, Francis?” Hannibal appears at ease, even with another dragon so close to his hoard. Will listens from just inside the castle doors. 

“I-I have fallen in love.” The great red dragon’s head hangs low in despair. “With a human princess. I discovered her trapped on an island. Her name is Reba.” The name is said with a sigh of longing. 

Hannibal examines the other dragon with polite interest. “Surely, this is an occasion to celebrate. Love is a precious thing indeed. Why so forlorn?” 

“My love is blind. I have only spoken to her from a distance. She has no idea I am a dragon. She wishes to touch me, but how can I allow that? When she discovers my true form, she will turn from me in disgust and fear, and I cannot bear that.” Francis covers his head with his wings, as if even the contemplation is too much. 

“Now Francis, if you truly have her love, she will not forsake you.” 

This does not appear to comfort the other dragon. Hannibal hums in thought. 

“I may have something that will help your situation. You may enter.” He goes into the castle. His prehensile tail flicks out, wrapping around Will’s middle and pulling him along. Francis cautiously enters behind them. His nostrils flare in Will’s direction, but seems uninterested in him otherwise. 

Hannibal leads him to the library. Depositing Will on a pile of silk cushions, he raises his great head to study a collection of scrolls clustered in a cubby in the wall. With startling nimble clawed fingers, he takes one down. 

“Here we are.” He reads the scroll aloud, the strange language rolling off his tongue smooth and serpentine. When the last syllable is uttered, there is a rush of hot air throughout the room, and the dragon begins to shrink and change. Within a minute, Hannibal has become a handsome human man of middling years, dressed in fine black and silver clothes. Francis and Will stare in astonishment. 

“It is mostly a spell of intention.” He says, unruffled. “You must will yourself into the shape. There may be lingering aspects of your true self if you are not completely focused.” He offers the scroll to the red dragon. “Now you try.” 

Francis accepts the scroll and reads through it silently, shaping the words first. When he utters the spell, he is slower than Hannibal, but it still works. He shrinks into a muscular (and Will can’t help but notice, naked) man with a scar on his lip. He examines his new hands with a frown. 

“Such a weak form.” He says, examining the rest of his body without shame. (Will supposes that dragons are technically always naked.)

“An unfortunate side effect.” Hannibal agrees. “Turning back, again, is a matter of intention. You will be able to switch back and forth after some practice without the spell.” 

Francis catches sight of something on his back. “What’s this?” He turns around so Will and Hannibal can see. 

“Ah, I did say there could be some remnants. You bear an image of your true form. It should not be an issue with your lady.” 

“Thank you, Elder Hannibal.” 

Hannibal nods regally, and shows him out. Will remains in the library. When Hannibal returns, he is still in human form. He lowers himself gracefully onto the cushions next to him, lounging like he does as a dragon. 

“Well, prince, what do you think of our shy boy’s dilemma?” The voice is the same, if slightly less growly.

“I think he should have been honest with her.” Will says. He is fascinated by Hannibal’s human form. Now that he is close, he can see traces of his true self: the high cheekbones, the red eyes, the minute expressions. Will has the terrible urge to place a hand on Hannibal’s chest to see if it is is hot with his inner fire. 

Hannibal nods. “As do I. The most beautiful quality of a true friend is to understand and be understood with absolute clarity. There is no room for subterfuge in such a relationship.” 

Will’s heart seems to be beating too fast. He been completely surrounded by Hannibal before, but never has he been so aware of his presence. 

“Do you think it’ll work out between them?” 

Hannibal looks thoughtful. “Perhaps. Such pairings have before.” 

“Really?” 

“Oh, yes. We dragons are always on the look out for treasure of every nature.” He smiles at Will, whose eyes follow the curve of the lips. “Rarely are any so fortunate as I to have one fall into my lap.” 

Will can feel himself blushing furiously. Hannibal cups the back of his head and presses a kiss to his lips. Will gasps, and can feel the dragon’s hot breath fill his lungs. Strong arms wrap around him, and he is tumbled gently down into the pillows. 

The next day, the Wizard Chilton appears in the great hall. Hannibal has resumed his dragon form and Will is ensconced tightly in his coils reading a book. They both look up in bemusement as the wizard strides angrily forward. 

“You are suppose to be transported back to the castle when you break the spell!” He fusses at Will. “I told King Jack you would be! Where is your rescuer?” He glares around the castle as if Will is hiding someone. 

“Rescuer?” Will echos. “Wait, the spell is broken?” 

“Of course. True love’s kiss. Basic stuff.” Chilton says, scowling at him. “I felt the spell break, but you didn’t show back up.” 

“You are astoundingly unimaginative, Frederick.” Hannibal says with a yawn. “And rather rude, barging in like this. I broke Will’s spell and prevented him from leaving.” 

“You can’t do that!” 

Will stares at Chilton. Does this man have no sense of self preservation? Not only does he have the temerity to confront a dragon in its lair, he has the audacity to dictate to it, also. 

“I think you’ll find I can.” Hannibal smiles, showing huge, terrible teeth. Chilton backs up a step, seeming to belatedly realize his mistake. “Though, I must thank you for sending me such a treasure, but I will not be giving him up.” 

Will has sense enough to turn his face away when Hannibal strikes. There is an awful crunching sound, and then nothing. Hannibal lays his head back down, humming meditatively. 

“I should be mad about that.” Will says.

“Are you?” Hannibal doesn’t sound very concerned.

“No. He really was a terrible person.” 

“Yes. Though you can leave the castle now, if you wish.” 

“Would you show me some of the places you’ve visited?” Will asks. 

“Of course. I look forward to it, my treasure.” 


End file.
